Overnight police crackdown on PTI workers; 41 arrested

ISLAMABAD: At least 41 workers of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) were rounded up from Seventh Avenue on Margalla Road in a heavy crackdown on home-going people in Tuesday’s small hours.

According to detail, the PTI activists were on their way back after attending the sit-in at D-Chowk, when they were attacked by the police on Nadra Chowk. At least 20 PTI workers were arrested.

The PTI leadership directed the sit-in participants to head to the Constitution Avenue to get the arrested workers released. Police baton-charged the workers as they arrived near the PM Secretariat. Retaliating, the PTI workers pelted stones and the fray continued in the dark of night.

The PTI leaders including Aminul Haq Gandapur arrived on the flashpoint and entered talks with the police. The dialogues wrapped up with the release all 20 workers.

Happy over the release of their workers, the leaders directed all the activists to return to D-Chowk—the venue of Azadi March sit-in.

But, having released 20 PTI workers, police cracked down on another group of workers going back home and arrested at least 41 of them from Seventh Avenue on Margalla Road.

The collared workers are being transported to different police stations